News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-06
AS FROM THE TOMB.
A Woman MOurncd rs Dead for Five Years
Returns Homo.

| The first snow storm of the season OF
the Blue Ridge Mountains, last Sunday
brought with it guest to the home O
i Jackson Benton, at Sabillasville, nea
the Maryland Pennsylvania line. Fo
five long years Benton's life had beer
lonely. His children "a bright boy o.
twelve and a blue-eyed. faxen-haireG
girl of eight-were the only lights o.
his life
Five years ago his wife, who was con
sidered the handsomest woman in that
section, mysteriously disappeared. She
left no letter or anything to explain hel
hasty departure. They were married II
| GAINESVILLE, 0 when he was twenty-five
and she seventeen years of age. They
had been married eight years when she
| left home. Detectives searched for her
in all parts of the country, but without
success. Advertisements had appeared
in the newspapers from time to time,
and the heart broken husband had re
ceived many answers from parties who
had seen women somewhat answering
the description of his wife, but nothing
really definite could be learned.
Mr.. Benton had travelled many miles
at different times to look upon the fea-
lures of dead women, but not to find
the one he sought. He would have been
satisfied to know that she was dead.
The long and terrible suspense was
worse than total bereavement.
About two weeks ago he received a
letter postmarked New York, informing
him that his wife was in that city, had
just arrived from Europe and desired to
return home. Accompanying this was
another letter, this second one being
from his wife. 1t read:
New YORK, November 81.
My DEAR HUsBAND,-YOu no doubt mourn
me as dead, and perhaps it would be better for
our children and for you if did not dispel the
gloom of death, only to cover you and my little
ones with shame, but thank God 1 have done
nothing criminal. 1t is the sin of my parents
that is now visited upon my husband and my
children. Probably | was foolish in leaving
home and in concealing from you the truth,
but, my husband, L beg you to take me back.
| am going home. When l tell you all, per-
haps you will forgive me. Our children need
not know the sad story. Your loving wife,
LAURA.
Last Sunday there were few passen-
gers on the Blue Mountain express that
left Baltimore in the afternoon. At 80
y ClOCh GudG GNCuluS DGutOu
rived in Sabillasville. Several persons
she encountered on the one long street
as she hurried through the town did not
recognize her through ner heavy black
veil, for she was dressed in mourning.
Through the snow-storm she struggled
along the littlJ mountain path, her way
lighted by the lamps in her home. In a
few minutes she was clasped in her hus-
bands arms.
When Farmer Benton first met his
future wife she was living with an aunt,
Mrs. Hopkins, in GAINESVILLE Her maid
en- name was Laura Welton. She had
been raised by the aunt, who told people
that the child's parents were dead.
Laura's marriage to Benton was a true
love match. He was a well-to do young
farmer whose father had left him about
$50, 900 and handsome estate.
Early in the year 1881 the happy wife
and mother received a terrible shock in
a letter from a lady in GAINESVILLE enclos-
ing a letter from Mrs. Hopkins to her
niece written by the old lady on her
death-bed. 1t informed Laura Benton
that she was an illegitimate child, and
that her father was the worst of crimi-
nails, and that he was then serving term
in an Engh h prison for murder. She
was so Mortified that at first she did not
believe the story and thought that per
haps her aunt was crazy when she wrote
it.
A day or two later she received intel
ligence of her aunt's death and further
information of the disgrace attending
her birth. She learned that her aunt
was her mothers sister; that her mother
was pure, good girl until she fell
prey to the convict father. She learned
that her mother was still living in Eng
land.
The poor, distressed wife told her hus-
band of her aunt's death, but said moth
ing to him of the terrible revelation she
had received. She dreaded to meet her
husband, or to take her children to her
bosom. She resolved to leave her home
and 90 to England, and seek out her
mother. Perhaps the horrible story was
not true. Having some money of her
own, she drew it out of the bank, and
early in April she left.
In little town about fifty miles from
London she found her mother, an old
woman, who at first would
not believe her story, but who was con-
vinced on reading her own sisters letter.
Mrs. Benton learned from her mother
that John Turner, her father, married
her mother three years after she was
born. 1t was true that he had committed
a murder In Sheffield and was sent to
prison for life, but he died last June six
years ago. The almost heart-broken
wife felt her disgrace more keenly than
ever. She had her mother, however, to
comfort her, and the two women lived
until few months since, when
the old woman died, begging her child
to forgive her.